La Pavoni Profesional - manual espresso machine
Discussion
well my old Bosch espresso machine has died so it time to by a new one..... was going to buy a pumped one, then cam across manual pumped machines and now I want one.
anyone got one... if so
1) are they real an art to get right, or do the reviews on the internet I've read just trying to make it elitist ??
2) Considering the Professional over the Europpicola as its got a pressure guage ( always wanted to be s team train driver
) and apparently it's got a variable temp thingy so you can avoid burning the coffee, and due it being bigger it develops better steam ??? am I right on this or should I save my money get the smaller one and after market fit a pressure guage ?
no I don't want one of them machines that takes capsules as what I've tasted is just not nice.
anyone got one... if so
1) are they real an art to get right, or do the reviews on the internet I've read just trying to make it elitist ??
2) Considering the Professional over the Europpicola as its got a pressure guage ( always wanted to be s team train driver
) and apparently it's got a variable temp thingy so you can avoid burning the coffee, and due it being bigger it develops better steam ??? am I right on this or should I save my money get the smaller one and after market fit a pressure guage ?no I don't want one of them machines that takes capsules as what I've tasted is just not nice.
I've got an Europiccola (20+ year old copper & brass one, still going strong) and love it.
I can get 8 to 10 shots out of it on one tank of water, though I only usually make 2-4 at a time. It's plenty enough to pull 4 shots and steam a couple of small/mid sized jugs of milk.
I'm not sure exactly what the pressure gauge is needed for since the newer models heat until a pressure stat kicks in and turns down the element and switches off a light, letting you know when you're ready and the older versions (like mine) have a separate switch to control the element's power output (whack it on high until steam starts coming from the escape valve, knock it back to low for pulling shots, stick it back on high for 30 seconds and leave it there while using the steam wand - I prefer the older 2 switch system since it gives you this ability to keep the pressure up for extended steaming).
As for the art of pulling good espresso...I think (providing you're using decent coffee) within a dozen shots of getting the machine you should be able to pretty consistently get decent coffee that's good enough to enjoy and would impress people with only a layman's knowledge of coffee. But it's the same as anything...once you're into it and you start learning more, focusing on the intricacies of it, you'll spend the rest of your life tweaking your technique and buying more gear trying to chase the perfect shot. You could get this machine, buy supermarket coffee and be happy, or you could end up with a kitchen filled with machines, grinders, roasters and sacks of green beans depending on your level of interest/obsession. And then comes the latte art...
On the gear front, I'd say it would be worth getting a good burr grinder to go with it. The La Pavoni machines seem to like a finer grind than most. In my experience, shop bought "for all coffee machine" grinds won't work at all. Around here I can get Illy Espresso and Taylor's that are specifically ground for espresso machines and they work, but require an awful lot of of heavy tamping to get the best results. Ideally, the grind should be finer still. There are loads of online places that will sell pre-ground coffee though and will grind to your requirements if you don't immediately want to shell out another £150-£200 for a decent grinder.
If you can afford the machine, then I say just go for it. At the least, they look great in a kitchen and hold their value well should you want to get rid of it. They are a faff though and not good for when you're rushing about in the morning and need a quick pick-me-up before heading to work. But if that's what you wanted, you'd be looking at single button pod machines.
I can get 8 to 10 shots out of it on one tank of water, though I only usually make 2-4 at a time. It's plenty enough to pull 4 shots and steam a couple of small/mid sized jugs of milk.
I'm not sure exactly what the pressure gauge is needed for since the newer models heat until a pressure stat kicks in and turns down the element and switches off a light, letting you know when you're ready and the older versions (like mine) have a separate switch to control the element's power output (whack it on high until steam starts coming from the escape valve, knock it back to low for pulling shots, stick it back on high for 30 seconds and leave it there while using the steam wand - I prefer the older 2 switch system since it gives you this ability to keep the pressure up for extended steaming).
As for the art of pulling good espresso...I think (providing you're using decent coffee) within a dozen shots of getting the machine you should be able to pretty consistently get decent coffee that's good enough to enjoy and would impress people with only a layman's knowledge of coffee. But it's the same as anything...once you're into it and you start learning more, focusing on the intricacies of it, you'll spend the rest of your life tweaking your technique and buying more gear trying to chase the perfect shot. You could get this machine, buy supermarket coffee and be happy, or you could end up with a kitchen filled with machines, grinders, roasters and sacks of green beans depending on your level of interest/obsession. And then comes the latte art...
On the gear front, I'd say it would be worth getting a good burr grinder to go with it. The La Pavoni machines seem to like a finer grind than most. In my experience, shop bought "for all coffee machine" grinds won't work at all. Around here I can get Illy Espresso and Taylor's that are specifically ground for espresso machines and they work, but require an awful lot of of heavy tamping to get the best results. Ideally, the grind should be finer still. There are loads of online places that will sell pre-ground coffee though and will grind to your requirements if you don't immediately want to shell out another £150-£200 for a decent grinder.
If you can afford the machine, then I say just go for it. At the least, they look great in a kitchen and hold their value well should you want to get rid of it. They are a faff though and not good for when you're rushing about in the morning and need a quick pick-me-up before heading to work. But if that's what you wanted, you'd be looking at single button pod machines.
Plenty more valuable information (also other machines) here
http://www.coffeegeek.com/reviews/consumer/la_pavo...
as well as tips how to use and other kit, latte art and so on
http://www.coffeegeek.com/reviews/consumer/la_pavo...
as well as tips how to use and other kit, latte art and so on
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